Completely knew this dress was going to be way too girly for me when I added it to the cart months (ok, half a year) ago but blatantly disregarded it. With my determination to stop dressing so much like a slob I finally decided six months later that I would go with my original idea of wearing this flouncy piece with some trainers and accept the fact that I was going to look like I was off to play tennis.

And besides having my underwear on display for the whole world to see (I thought everyone was staring because this white lace summer dress outfit is just so damn cute, not because my nude Spanx was riding up up my ass crack), I think it does alright. Not quite sure how this piece is supposed to be worn exactly. I did consider wearing some showy black matching underwear set and pulling a Kim, but the inclusion of a slip dress made me think otherwise. I mean, I can’t think I why you would have a sheer slip dress with a see through slip too, but maybe I’ll just wear it with a different more substantial slip next time or go sans slip altogether and actually take a note out of Kim’s book.

Had to take this new season Minskat Copenhagen Mini Liz out for spin as well. It might not fit ten packets of gummy bears in there but that just means there’s no room in there for all my partner’s crap so it’s actually helping my shoulder and my diet when you think about it. I don’t have a lot of brightly colour bags so I went with the scarlet (although onyx, jet black snake, taupe snake and tan if you prefer to be on the safe side of things) since most of my clothes are black, white and grey. I’m actually really liking this bright coral, scarlet kinda colour so I might just let it infiltrate my closet a little bit more.

When travelling, it suddenly becomes acceptable to dress like a tourist. The kind which wears a bucket hat, fanny pack and sneakers that look like they need a prescription for them.

But wearing all that touristy crap isn’t even remotely comfortable. I’ll admit, dressing like I was about to head off on a safari was fun when I was a child, even if my fanny pack was stuffed with food and not money (I mean, do you even know how handy it is to have a bunch of candy sitting handsfree right in front of your stomach is?), but since gaining a little self dignity, I’ve come to find dressing somewhere between a local and comfortably, the best way to travel.

This is especially true when on a road trip because sitting in a car for hours in jeans or a utility vest is anything but comfortable.

You never know where you’re going to stop, or what you’re going to do so simple but practical clothing (pockets are mandatory) make for the best road trip outfits.

EASY GOING

In this photo:

Morrison leather bag

We travelled down to Walpole (a tiny town in Western Australia) on the weekend, by car. With some stops included, this took about five hours. Not something you’d want to sit through in jeans.

These Layer’d pants which I featured before turned out to be the perfect choice. Light enough to wear in 30 degree (Celsius) heat and loose enough to wear squashed into the backseat of a car, I’ve coined them my tourist pants.

And being pants, I could easily run around the forests without bearing my butt to the birds. Bonus: they have pockets. For snacks of course.

Add a slouchy knotted crop top and shoes that look like I picked up from the chemist and you have a somewhat less touristy, tourist outfit.

No need for additional items like backpacks and Hawaiian shirts. Stick to the basics and you’re all set to sit in a car and eat for five hours.

]]>http://shannonvalle.space/2018/01/road-trip-ready-with-a-knotted-crop-top/feed/2610786http://shannonvalle.space/2018/01/road-trip-ready-with-a-knotted-crop-top/Perth Jurlique Spa Facial Experiencehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheFashannMonster/~3/Nnejz76VFJw/
http://shannonvalle.space/2018/01/perth-jurlique-spa-facial-experience/#commentsWed, 17 Jan 2018 05:47:25 +0000http://shannonvalle.space/?p=10716 Last year (yes, I know…) I lost my facial virginity. Here’s my Perth Jurlique Spa Facial review. When it comes to choosing a relaxing experience, I usually go for red wine over tea, reading a book over a getting a pedicure and a massage over a facial. To me it just made sense. Why get […]

When it comes to choosing a relaxing experience, I usually go for red wine over tea, reading a book over a getting a pedicure and a massage over a facial. To me it just made sense. Why get just your face massaged when you could have the full body experience?

Well, the Jurlique spa facial experience may have changed my mind about that.

I’ve been a dedicated Jurlique user since being kindly introduced to them by Invisble Thread a few years ago but I had never had a facial by them. Or anyone, for that matter.

I honestly thought facials were a waste of time. I mean, how much improvement could you make on your skin in one hour from having someone rub lotions all over it.

Turns out, a lot. Not only that, but facials are so much more than someone slathering your face in oils and creams. Though, that it all part of it.

I was treated to the Classic Signature Facial, which started off with a spritzing of Rosewater Balancing Mist (enriched with rose essential oil, marshmallow and aloe) and my personal favourite part, a scalp massage. Only two minutes into the facial and I was ready to fall asleep. But I didn’t, because I wanted to remember the facial and give you guys a thorough review on it. That’s how dedicated I am to you.

Next my skin was cleansed to remove impurities, makeup, all that sort of crap that clogs your pores and dulls your face. This was done with the Replenishing Cleansing Lotion which is also gentle enough to be used as an eye makeup remover. After this, a skin analysis was performed to see just how terrible the condition of my skin really is.

There’s a difference between dry and dehydrated skin, which Elissa so kindly explained to me. Dry skin lacks oil. Dehydrated skin lacks moisture and my skin is dehydrated but super oily. Moistly indicated by the greasy sheen across my face and the ingrained lines in my forehead. I was skeptical that one facial could do anything about those line. My dad has them and I pretty much thought I was doomed to live with them without the help of fillers.

Amazingly, Elissa was able to make those stubborn lines disappear within one sitting with the help of an aromatic compression. Having your head wrapped in a hot towel is a lot more relaxing and less claustrophobic than I had originally expected. While I was enjoying the aromatic compression that was softening dead skin cells and increasing circulation, Elissa was working away preparing a Professional Enzyme Peel. Unfortunately this is only available in store as part of a facial, which I guess is just more reason for me to go back sooner than later.

I’m quite familiar with AHA and chemical exfoliation, but this enzyme peel was a pretty bizarre experience. I had to wake out of my half sleeping state to ask what the hell was being wiped across my face. Something akin to a really thick shaving foam but which made a scraping noise across my skin. It didn’t hurt, even though some enzyme peels can be uncomfortable for those with sensitive skin, but it did feel strange. It smelled amazing though. Pineapple, papaya, acerola cherry and hibiscus make for a cocktail of delicious scents. Is there a real cocktail made from those ingredients? Because someone should make one.

While the enzyme was busy exfoliating my skin, I got to enjoy an arm and hand exfoliation and a face, neck, shoulders and décolletage massage. Being a sucker for a good massage this was easily my second favourite part. Jurlique tailors their facials to suit each individual, so I was able to have the knots in my shoulders worked away with heavenly scented oils and creams. The Jasmine hand cream smells wonderful but you have a choice of about three different ones if jasmine isn’t really your thing.

To wrap up the facial, my face was hydrated with a bunch of products primarily from the Rose Moisture Plus range. Products designed to replenish the moisture levels in dehydrated skin and plump it out.

And plump it out, it did. I couldn’t stop staring at my skin in the reflection of the window on the train ride home. The little lines in my forehead where it looked like tiny men were digging trenches across the northern hemisphere of my face were all filled in. The dullness was replaced with glowing skin and my pore had almost (but not quite) vanished.

Do I recommend a Jurlique facial? I was honestly amazed at what a single facial could do and I am definitely booking in again and I know what I’m getting my mom for her upcoming birthday. So yes, if there is a Jurlique spa near you, I highly recommend booking in and forgetting all your usual life obligations for an hour or two.

I know it looks sunny in these photos and I’m holding an umbrella for no real practical reason, but I can assure you it was anything but. Soon after these photos were taken, the rain started drizzling and the wind picked up. Now we have severe weather warnings. No idea where summer went to… Luckily for me, this Blunt umbrella really lives up to it’s claims. The wind did not blow this one inside out and there were pretty strong winds this day. The print on this Blunt Umbrella + Karen Walker is so pretty too. These photos don’t really show it vividly because of the sun reflecting on it, but it’s a navy kind of colour with a bird print which incidentally kind of matched my dress.

Unluckily though, my dress was not made with the same thought in mind. Winds blew and parts were almost revealed. If it wasn’t for the sheer slip inside, I wouldn’t have worn it out on such a windy day. Despite this, it’s quickly become my favourite dress with its cold shoulder details, oriental crane print and flouncy ruffles. I’ve been pretty damn impressed with Zaful lately.

Another new favourite? This Sonja bag by Minskat Copenhagen. You’ve probably notice that the Mira is my go-to bag and rarely ever leaves my side but this one is smaller which means I can fit a little less stuff in there (read: essentials only), meaning I’m not having my arm pulled off via my shoulder. It sounds crazy, but the bag is really teaching me how to be more thoughtful. Mostly about what snacks I can afford to fit inside, but hey, it’s a start.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and if you don’t see me again between now and Sunday, have an awesome new year! I’m truly so grateful of all of the visitors and readers of this blog and hope you’ll put up with my irrelevant rambles and intermittent (inconsistent!) posting in the new year. Wishing you all the best for 2018.

And when I say “strolling the streets”, what I really mean is that I walked about 100 metres around the corner of my brother’s house whinging about my choice of attire in 30 degree Celsius weather and asking him to carry me back after taking these photos. I failed but I did manage to get him to carry the camera back without him noticing.

The newest addition to my ever-growing bag collection is this cute little lime green bag from Eva Leather. I’ve always wanted a lime green bag and the tiny size of this one makes it the perfect accent piece. It was also supposed to come with a mini scarf as per the photo on the website but I didn’t find one in the package. Not too bother though since I probably wouldn’t use it anyway and would rather tie a nice vintage one around the handle instead but I did find something that somewhat resembled an ankle sock in the bottom of the postal bag. Maybe the scarf was meant to be in there? Maybe someone misplaced their washing? I’ll never know but I’m definitely not losing sleep over it. The bag itself makes up for the mystery of that.

Decided to let the bag do the talking by keeping the rest of the outfit super simple with my favourite black jeans and white top combo and finishing off with what I like to refer to as my ninja boots. Though, after that stroll, I can’t say I’d be capable of pulling any ninja moves in them. Or doing anything besides limp while wearing them.

So, while I should be studying (two exams left to go for the semester), I thought it would be a great idea to leave the desk in favour for a pie and some freshly cooked hot chips. Complete with sweet chilli sauce & sour cream of course. I also thought it would be a great idea to take out my new Space Shake graphic cotton t-shirt and pink ruffle slides out for a quick spin in the sunshine.

No less than obsessed with this tee. Despite the sleeves being a kind of weird shape (maybe it’s a men’s tee?) it combines two of my favourite things: retro prints and space. Very seriously considering buying the Rocket Fries tee too and these ruffle slide sandals in every colour. How adorable are the ruffles? They’re a quick way to make a simple outfit more feminine and super comfortable too. Too things I definitely need.

When everyone started wearing embroidered clothing, I started rolling my eyes. Another ’trend’. I could only speculate about why on earth people would want to relive their great aunt’s doilies or their nanna’s sewing box. To me, it was like borrowing from your grandmother’s closet. Only, you were borrowing her curtains. To wear.

But enter this denim skirt. With it’s faded slight dirty-looking blue colour & tacky embroidery, it suddenly dawned on me. It’s like living in Tazo times all over again. Well, minus the Tazos.

When I realised this embroidered demin skirt was essentially a variation of what I wore every day as a child (embroidered pants, embroidered tops, embroidered shoes, you name it), my initial thought was, “how can I make this even more 90s?” Tuck a white tee in, add some white trainers, a white watch & I think I just created a time machine back to the 90s. I could’ve added a tiny backpack that fits really nothing inside it & some type of choker necklace, but I didn’t want to risk the Spice Girls knocking on my door. Besides, where would I put all my snacks?

I’ll admit that maybe I was hard on the whole embroidery trend at first & I tried really hard not to like it, but it’s been growing on me & really fast. My rotation rack is quickly filling up with these flowery appliqués & I kind of feel like a hypocrite because of it. This embroidered denim skirt outfit definitely changed my mind. Have you ever hated a trend at first then reluctantly decided later you actually love it?

Feeling like I’m on vacation in this linen shirt and silky pants combo. It seems very resort. Thought I’d up the tourist factor with a tan leather bag and perfectly matching sandals and I look like I should be wandering the alleyways of Amalfi or sipping on coffee outside of a cafe in Paris. Two places Where I am most definitely not.

Instead, I’m sitting here stunned at how fast another year has zoomed by and wondering how I’ve gone two years without an overseas vacation. Because, let’s face it, this linen shirt and silky pants combo really do make for the perfect summer vacation outfit and I need to be wearing this somewhere other than the white wall down the road or the local shopping mall. I guess it’s a good reason (or excuse) to start planning another holiday and with the amount of assignments I’ve had pile up once again, I’m in dire need of one. It’s also a good excuse to shop the rest of the Layer’d collection which is filled with effortless resort-style pieces.

I’ll be wearing these pants a lot during the next few months. They are so silky and almost feel like I’m wearing no pants at all. Which is the ultimate goal with clothes here. The pockets obviously scored a few extra brownie points. Anywhere to stow away some candy and I’m in love.
And can you tell I’m having a moment with olive coloured clothing at the moment. It’s an easy way for someone who has a predominantly black/grey/white wardrobe to add some colour and it’s got more of a bad-ass vibe (must be the military colour kicking in) than typical greens, but if you’re not about that army chic life, they also come in a very sleek black pair. Which I’ll also be needing of course. You know the saying, “when you like an item of clothing, buy it in every single colour available”, or something to that effect…

Honestly, this wearing this dress is something akin to draping the cheap rolls of fabric you get at Textile Traders over you and swirling around in the store before being asked to leave. You know, the fabric in random patterns you buy when you think you’re going to get all crafty and sew cushions and teddy bears with, but end up being left in a box, with all the other unfinished projects you started. I’m not that bothered though. It’s not see through (from what I know so far anyway) and the fact that it’s not amazing quality means I’m not afraid to batter it around in places like this, or wear it to the beach without the fear of salt and my own clumsiness destroying it.

So does that mean, that because it’s more of a heavy duty fabric that it’s better quality? Maybe. Maybe not. I will definitely be wearing this dress again – come summer, it will be my beach coverup – but the amount of creasing on it is unnecessary. Then again, I didn’t iron it. These photos of it are pretty much straight out of the mail bag. Minus a few scenes of me parading about at home pretending I was some fairytale antagonist flapping around in a full length gown.

But yeh, what a terrible review. In conclusion: the dress is ok. Mediocre at best.

]]>http://shannonvalle.space/2017/10/blue-bohemian/feed/2110454http://shannonvalle.space/2017/10/blue-bohemian/Feathers In Shark Bayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheFashannMonster/~3/2WEdzplbe_w/
http://shannonvalle.space/2017/10/feathers-shark-bay/#commentsMon, 02 Oct 2017 00:55:02 +0000http://shannonvalle.space/?p=10427Dancing around the Shark Bay clay pans in inappropriate attire. Wearing: Dresslily chiffon dress* In this photo: When your hair wraps around your face in the wind & makes it look like you’re growing some 70s inspired sideburns Used the long weekend as an opportunity to dodge as many uni obligations as possible by […]

When your hair wraps around your face in the wind & makes it look like you’re growing some 70s inspired sideburns

Used the long weekend as an opportunity to dodge as many uni obligations as possible by embarking on a ten hour road trip to camp for two days in Shark Bay, Western Australia. For the most part, the weather was great. We got to sightsee the whole place in less than a day (we were determined) & explore the beaches up there (which are amazing, FYI). But when I decided I wanted to shoot this dress for a blog post, the heavens decided to open up & piss all over me. Joke’s on them (the weather gods?) though, because if they knew anything about me, they’d have known that running around in the rain & slipping over in the mud makes for one very happy Shannon. Add in an over the top peacock-looking dress that flows like Mulan’s hair in the wind and you have a kid in a candy store.

The dress itself is ok. It would probably look better if I had some fat on my chest to hold it up, but alas, I don’t, so we’re working with what we’ve got here. Which turns out is nothing. Nevertheless, the material is soft, the straps adjustable & the skirt lined, but I’m not sure where you’d wear something like this normally. A see through club dress would probably be more appropriate for this frolicking situation. It’s a little on the excessive (& crazy bright) side to wear as an every day maxi dress but not quite fancy enough to wear anywhere nice. I mean, these clay pans I’m dancing around in a pretty nice but that’s not what we’re talking about here. It does make for some fun photos and parading around at home though. Exactly what I did when I was supposed to be packing for this trip.

Which by the way, I’ll be doing another travelogue for and if you’re ever thinking of visiting Western Australia, you will want to see. There’s a lot more scenery to see up there than these clay pans.